Continuing from last post's theme, comes this refined Federal-style Colonial home owned by Bob Weinstein and Eric Hensley. Unlike Matt Gibson's modernist overhaul however, Weinstein and Hensley stayed true to the historical nature of their home (built circa 1750) with Victorian detailing, then furnished with a choice selection of 20th Century modern design.

Photos by William Abranowicz, click on any of the photos to go to Elle Decor.

The Gio Ponti style glass and walnut table was a thrift store find. The sofa and chairs are vintage inspired pieces by Room and Board

Vintage Vladimir Kagan lounge chairs are reupholstered in Maharam. In the foreground is Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona coffee table, in the background an oval Eero Saarinen Tulip dining table, both by Knoll. On the table is a vintage Laurel mushroom lamp.

A vintage Florence Knoll sofa anchors the reading area of the master bedroom.

The homeowners, seated in vintage Danish chairs around another Saarinen table. On the table, an arrangement of modular Nagel candleholders. Above, a brass Paavo Tynell pendant lamp.

Expect the unexpected from this award-winning space from Australia's Matt Gibson. You are greeted by a traditional Victorian cottage facade. Then open the door to behold a modernist masterpiece.

From the Matt Gibson's site:This renovation to a single fronted terrace involves the story of two pavilions, at the front a classic Victorian workers cottage and at the rear a new contemporary addition. The layout over the long narrow block involves a series of figure / ground relationships with 2 central courtyards mediating 3 built elements. The scheme is given additional resonance via level & material changes. The central mirrored courtyard acts as a powerful interstitial space & a metaphorical bridge of history between the front & rear dwelling. Decking boards run inside and outside and with concealed fold away doors confuse and blur notions of interior and exterior. Continuity of material and colour is integral to the sense of flow & movement and the tale of the site's history.

From the site: A 2,500 square foot space with East and South exposures overlooking large maple trees, inspired the use of natural and warm materials. The floors were laid with wide board douglas fir lightly oiled to allow for aging and patina. To maximize the presence of the trees in the room, single light tilt-turn windows were installed. Below each window, heating and cooling units are concealed behind perforated gray metal covers. A full height volume, containing bathrooms and laundry situated at a northern light well, is layered with storage units on two sides. The owners furniture collection is complemented by custom made cabinets and bookshelves. An exposed wood column and beam become an important spatial divider in a room where both eating and living take place.

The owners furniture collection is focused on iconic French and Danish mid-century design. While I think of French modernism as austere, and Danish as sculptural, here the two genres exist harmoniously, perfectly in tune with one another. A Finn Juhl/Poul Kjaerholm dining set, sits across from a Charlotte Perriand bench, opposite a Hans Wegner flagline lounge chair. Jean Prouve Standard Chairs flank a desk, while a Mogens Lassen stool sits by the kitchen island. A Charlotte Perriand stool by the bookcase, and a Ilmari Tapiovaara stool by the bed. Uniting the two styles, is the love of craftsmanship and the honesty of materials. An inspiring place, to say the least.

The Kingdon, a tiger shark submerged in formaldehyde, sold for $17M. Photo Getty Images: Peter Macdiarmid

Despite the US economic downturn, British artist Damien Hirst sold his work at Sotheby's for nearly $200M. The total for the two-day sale was a record for an auction of works by a single artist, smashing the previous record held by Picasso of $20M for 88 works sold in 1993. This groundbreaking and controversial sale was the first time an artist has sold directly through an auction house. "Cutting out out the middleman", i.e. no galleries, no dealers, all the works were sold directly to the public.

The Golden Calf, a calf adorned in gold and submerged in formaldehyde, sold for $18.3M. Photo Getty Images: Peter Macdiarmid

Of the top 20 pieces sold, half went to Europeans, the rest to emerging markets like Russia, China, India, and the Middle East. Says CNN's Art corespondent Lola Ogunnaike, "They have the money to spend, and they are really spending it on Contemporary Art." When asked if it is a reaction to how poorly the stock markets are doing she replied, "Interestingly enough, this is not an anomaly, this has been happening since the summer", referring to Christie's recent sales of a Warhol $35.5M and Monnet for $80M. "So as our market is crumbling, the art world, for now at least, is insulated".

Can the same be said of the 20th Century design market? Recent record breaking sales suggests yes. However, considering the mass-produced nature of most modernist design items, seeing the astronomical prices in the art world would be doubtful. Top dollar would be reserved for only the rarest specimens, prototypes or one-offs.

Last May, this Hans Wegner's leather and teak swivel chair, estimated $15,000 to $20,000, sold for $50,000 at Wright. Photo: Wright, Brian Franczyk

Watch the video below to see the amazing process used in the creation of this chair.

New York auction house Phillips de Pury has just released the full preview for their September 25th auction. An incredible mix of iconic 20th Century Design, and 21st Century Design Art. The chair above is from Sketch Furniture series from Sweden's supergroup Front Design created by a rather amazing process:

Here are a few more of my favorite pieces from the auction:

A 1970's ‘Rio’ rocking chaise longue by Oscar Niemeyer

A pair of rare black sputnik lamps by Stilnovo.

A seductive 1950s Carlo Mollino coffee table.

A 1940's dining table by Gilbert Poillerat.

A 1970's illuminated ‘Cloud’ table by Guy de Rougement

A rich blue glass and brass coffee table by Fontana Arte.

And what Design Art auction would be complete without a Campana brothers chair.

This Wednesday, an impressive collection of Nakashima works will be offered by the Toronto auction house Ritchies.

All works are from a single private collection, that of Susan Wepman Seidman, Toronto. All works were acquired directly from George Nakashima.

For myself and I'm sure many others, Nakashima's oeuvre has always possessed an aura of mystery and mystique. A few years ago Sotheby's created a beautifully produced video to accompany the sale of one of the most important works ever created by Nakashima, the "Arlyn Table". Every fan of modernism should watch this video.... everyone.

An amazing Los Angeles renovation featured in this months Metropolitan Home. A collaboration of architect Scott Joyce, interior designer Susan Young, and exterior Tory Polone. I particularly enjoy the sleek lines of the Thayer Coggin sofa and Zanotta barstools, mixed with references to more classical 1940's French modernism, from the Serge Roche mirror, the Andre Arbus style dining chairs, to the green shield-back chair by Victoria Hagan, that reminiscent of Jacques Quinet.